Healing
by sparkly red ribbon
Summary: Zuko knows the only person who can heal Azula is their mother. He takes Azula to her against her will, hoping that their mother can do what no one else can. spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

AN: OMG! Avatar is over...and it was great! But not without a big unanswered question. What happened to Azula? It's obvious that she's not evil like her father, and that she was crazy. Now that she had a mental breakdown, she needs her brother to help her, not throw her in jail.

Here's what I think probably happened (somewhere along these lines), and if it didn't happen, it should have.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender (...if I did, Azula would've had more screen time.)

**Healing for Azula**

Zuko paused outside the small, modest looking hut where he was supposed to find his mother. He couldn't believe it. This was the moment. He was finally going to see his mother again. And Azula…

He squeezed the warm, clammy hand inside his. He felt a faint squeeze back. He looked back at his disheveled younger sister. She looked uneasy. She may have resisted going on this journey with him, but he knew more than anybody that this was what she needed. She needed to see her mother again.

Zuko had always known that there had been a rift between them, but he never knew it was this significant, and that it had affected Azula the way it had. He loved his sister, even if she had done evil things. He would do anything for her. Now was when she needed him most, even if she didn't realize it.

"Azula…." She said nothing. She didn't even look at him. He just looked ahead and walked inside, pulling her along with him.

The inside of the hut looked old and ratty, but remarkably clean. It was well kept, but age had done its damage. It was decorated earth kingdom style, but the rest of the apartment became a blur as his eyes settled upon a middle aged woman sitting at a desk. It was his mother, he knew in an instant. She had Azula's hair but Zuko's gentle featured face. She looked to the side at her visitors. Her jaw hung open and she dropped the pen in hand. She stood up abruptly.

"Zuko? Azula?"

"Yes, mother, it's us…" Zuko choked. He could hardly contain his emotion. She gasped and ran forward to hug them both. Zuko wrapped his arms around her tightly, but Azula jerked away. She took a step back out of her mother's reach.

Zuko forgot Azula momentarily while hugging his mother, but eventually they parted, both staring at the princess. After a moment of small talk between Zuko and his mother, he knew that it was time for him to leave.

"I'll leave you two alone," Zuko said hastily and exited the cottage. Now Azula was alone with her mother. He hoped this would work. He knew mother was what Azula needed, but Azula had always been to arrogant and too proud to admit it. But now that everything she had was taken away from her, including her sanity, she might give in to her needs.

"Get away from me! You hate me! You fear me! You think I'm a monster!" He heard Azula yell from inside the cottage. He then heard a thumping noise…had somebody fallen to the floor? Could Azula have attacked mother?

"I don't hate you, Azula. I love you," he heard his mother's gentle voice. She was ok.

"Get away from me!" he heard Azula scream. There were clashing sounds. Azula must've been throwing things at their mother. He did not intervene, however. He heard his mother's gentle, caressing voice through Azula's continuous screams. It pained Zuko to hear her in such agony. He prayed his mother would make it stop. She was the only one who could do it, he knew. Father just fed her ambition and anger, Zuko's new position as firelord only made her jealous, but mother gave her nothing but love.

Suddenly the screaming changed. There were no more words in them, they were just wails. There was no more anger in them, there was only sadness. Although it hurt to hear her cry, it was what Zuko wanted. If Azula could confront and accept her sadness and pain, she could begin healing.

The screams and wails subsided to mere sobs. He could still hear his mother's voice floating through the air, and with each passing moment, Azula became quieter and quieter. He could barely make out what his mother was saying.

"I love you…it's going to be ok…I love you…it's going to be ok…" he heard repeated again and again. He decided that they needed more time alone before he should go back inside. He desperately wanted to spend time with his mother, but Azula needed her a thousand times more just then. Zuko contented himself by leaving the hut to go for a walk around the village.

:z:u:a:

It was dusk now. He neared the shabby hut, now glowing orange from the sunset. Perhaps he could go inside now. Although he knew Azula needed her mother, he wanted to help her too. She was his sister and he loved her.

He paused outside the door again. He took a deep breath, and turned the door knob. Slowly it creaked open and he cautiously poked his head inside. Azula and his mother were together in a heap on the floor. Azula face was buried in his mother's chest. She was not crying anymore, but completely silent. His mother was rubbing a caressing hand up and down her back and through her hair.

"Mother?" he whispered. She hushed him.

"I think she's asleep," she whispered in return.

"I can help you set her on the couch." His mother paused. She seemed to be contemplating, but then she nodded. Zuko lifted up her legs and his mother lifted her upper body. He could see her face was puffy and red. He set her legs down on the couch, and his mother sat down on the couch with a pillow in her lap and rested Azula's head on it. She continued stroking her hair.

"I can make us something to eat…since you obviously can't move."

"Yes…that would be nice, Zuko."

Zuko went to bed later that night feeling hopeful. Azula might wake up in the morning a happier person. She might even go through the same type of transformation he did, where he was in bed, sick for days. His mother would help her through it just as his uncle had helped him.

:z:u:a:

A couple days later Zuko neared the hut in mid afternoon. He had just returned from the market, heavy bag in hand. He walked inside the hut contented.

He nearly dropped his bag. Azula had woken up. He was right about her going through a transformation. For the last couple of days she'd been sick with a fever. She looked the same as he did when he was going through his transformation, so he was sure that's what was happening to her.

She was sitting next to her mother on the couch, leaning against her chest. Her mother had a long, slender arm wrapped around her shoulders. Azula was smiling weakly.

"Azula! You're awake!" he rushed over to her and hugged her. She didn't hug him back, but she didn't resist him, so that was an improvement. He pulled away. She would need time, he realized. But she was definitely on the right path.

Over the next couple days, Azula didn't say much, but she rarely left her mother's side. It was almost like she was a tiny child, helpless without her mother to protect her. But Zuko knew better. Azula was the best firebender in the entire world. Based solely on skill, she surpassed even him. Azula would grow eventually into a whole new person, just as he had in the last few months. Soon, he hoped, they could be a happy family again.

* * *

AN: I think Zuko would have done that for Azula. Zuko is a good person, so I don't think he would've just abandoned her and let her go completely insane and miserable. I think the future is hopeful for Azula.

Reviews appreciated!!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I originally wasn't going to do a continuation of this, but a few reviewers said they were interested in one and I got a couple 'story alerts', so of course I'm happy to do it.

So, in this chapter, Azula and her mother return to the palace. Zuko wonders whether she'll be able to handle being back in her old home. She may have been forgiven, but life will never be the same for her. And then to Zuko's dismay, the avatar and his friends stop by for a visit! The elements clash in an awkward reunion.

**Healing for Azula, Pt. 2 **

Zuko stood nervously outside the front door of the palace. He was finally going to see his mother and Azula again. After spending a week at his mother's home, he felt that he needed to go back home. As the fire lord, he had tumultuous amounts of work to do, especially now that the war was over and the world needed rebuilding. He couldn't afford to take too much time off, not even for his mother. As for Azula, she stayed with their mother. He felt that it would be best if she spent her initial recovery time somewhere far away and secluded-not the palace where the avatar frequently visited. But it had been nearly a month now, and he felt the time was right for his family to move in.

He spotted them walking up the staircase, hand in hand. Zuko's insides warmed. His family was finally home again. His mother was finally going to live in her rightful home. As for Azula…He was nervous as to how she would adapt. She would be home again, but her position there would never be the same. She wouldn't be the all-powerful one; she would just be the little sister. But, she would still be treated like the princess that she was- Zuko would make sure of that.

"Mother! Azula!" he ran and hugged them once they were close enough. He could feel his mother hug him tightly. Azula didn't really hug him, but merely set her arms on him. At least her arms moved- that was an improvement from when he left her. Azula pulled away from him quickly and stared at him, looking amused. Looking at her sweetly, his mother grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. Azula pouted and looked away, but squeezed her hand back.

They walked into the palace and he showed his mother to her room. Azula already knew where hers was.

"My room better be just how I left it!" she mumbled sinisterly as she set off down a hallway. He led his mother down another one.

"Will she be ok by herself?" he asked his mother.

"What do you mean?"

"She's not going to…do anything bad, is she?" She paused.

"Let's hope not," she said with a smirk. Zuko wasn't too pleased with that answer. He showed her to her room quickly and set off for Azula's room, desperately hoping everything would be…not burnt to a crisp.

He reached her room and found her sitting on her bed staring at her closet. He guessed she was staring at her armor, the clothes she wore while fighting. He liked her better in her dark red robes. He sat next to her on the bed and grabbed her hand, just as mother had. He expected her to pull it away, but to his surprise she didn't.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me," she said quietly. Zuko guessed that it pained her to say that. Azula didn't thank anybody- ever. But then again, Azula was changing.

"You're welcome."

"After all I've done to you…you've done this for me. You could've thrown me in jail to rot, or even had me killed…but you've done all of this."

"You're my sister…." She sighed, wearing a face expression that was familiar to him. It was one of…superiority.

"I never thought I'd saw this, dear Zuzu, but…I'm actually in your debt." Zuko smiled. Even when she was grateful to him, she managed to insult him. And he still hated that nickname. Today he didn't mind it though. That meant she was getting some of her old personality back. But hopefully that didn't mean her old ways would return to her as well.

"How can I ever repay you? How can I make it so you'll never regret doing this for me?"

"Saying thank you is enough. But… there will be some restrictions on you," he knew this could be a difficult subject to talk about and that Azula might not take it well, so Zuko did his best to sound assertive.

"Please don't take my fire bending away!" she grabbed his shirt. She looked desperate.

"That is what the avatar wants as punishment for you."

"You didn't agree, did you?"

"I told him that I would give you a chance to keep your fire bending. I will have rules for you, Azula. If you break them, you will have your fire bending taken away. If you follow them, you will be safe. Same goes for your possible jail sentence. If you break the rules I have given you, you will be sentenced to prison."

"What are these rules?"

"It's very simple. One: from now on you may only use fire bending for sparring, training, and domestic purposes. You will never hurt or control anyone with your fire bending again. Two: you will not be given any position of power within this palace within the next ten years. If you prove yourself worthy, job openings will be available to you."

Zuko expected Azula to have an outburst of complaints. Under their father's rule she had so much, and now she would have so little. However, she jumped up off the bed and threw her hands up in the air. She seemed to be celebrating.

"Thank you Zuko! I mean, not being fire lord is disappointing, yes, but… even _I_ know when to be grateful!" she sighed defeated.

That was exactly the response Zuko wanted to hear…well, almost. He never would've expected it her to agree to it so easily. She did have a point, though; he could've thrown her in prison.

After a while he left her to herself. He went to see his mother. He wanted to catch up with her and ask her about Azula. He found her in her new room unpacking her things.

"Hello mother."

"Hi Zuko. This palace is as beautiful as I remember it. I'm so happy to be able to live here again."

He chatted with her for a while, and then decided to ask about Azula.

"How was the month with Azula?" His mother smiled at him.

"It was fine. She became a little outgoing a week or so after you left. I think…she's still unsure of herself, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Her heart's in the right place…but she still needs our help," she placed a hand on Zuko's. Just then a servant called out to them from the doorway. A large man stood outside their room.

"What is it?"

"The avatar and his friends are here. They wish to see you." Zuko's stomach dropped. He liked seeing the avatar and his friends, but this was the last thing he wanted right then-not with Azula there. He quickly walked down the hallway to see them. Much to his distaste, everybody was there: Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Suki. He didn't know how they would react to Azula, but on the other hand, he was still glad to see them.

"Hi Zuko!" Aang chirped happily.

"Uh..Hi Aang. So what are you guys doing here?"

"Visiting of course! We're here for a couple days, so we thought we'd stop by." Sokka cheered.

"Cool…come on in, I guess…" They had all of their bags with them, s he led them down a few hallways towards the guest rooms.

"So can we stay for dinner?" Sokka asked, rubbing his stomach. They all looked at him hopefully.

"Um- actually, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Katara asked, sounding offended.

"Well, you see-"

"Azula!" Katara yelled, pointing a tanned finger right at her. Azula was walking towards them. She stopped in her tracks.

"What is she doing here?!" Aang asked, getting in what looked to Zuko like a fighting stance. Azula just stood there with her arms crossed.

"I LIVE here! And I'm about to get something to eat!" she said loudly and attempted to walk past them. Katara, however, grabbed her by the arm and stopped her.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" she yelled. Katara, still grabbing her arm, turned to Zuko.

"What is this, Zuko? Why is she here?"

"She lives here. Please let go of her." Katara looked furious. All of their faces did except the avatar, who looked thoughtful.

"So you're just letting her parade around the palace again? You're just letting her live here as the princess like she did nothing wrong?! She tried to kill all of us and would have seen the world destroyed and laughed! You can't forgive her and not even give her any punishment!"

"Whether she is punished or not is _my _decision," Zuko said as calmly, but as assertively as possible.

"Let go of me!" Azula yelled, but Katara did not let go. Azula tried to peel her hand off, but Katara's grip was too strong.

"So you have decided against my punishment for her?" Aang asked him. His voice had no anger in it.

"I am giving her a chance to avoid punishment. However, if she does not follow a list of rules and restraints I have given her, she will be given punishment."

"How can you go that easy on her? After all she's done?" Katara yelled. "She would've had you killed-"

"Enough! I am well aware of what she's done. I'll say it once more: whether she is punished or not is _my_ decision. You will all respect my decision for her and you will all treat her with kindness. I am not asking you to be friends with her, but you will not mistreat her. If you do, you will leave this palace." Zuko wondered whether being so stern with them was the right thing to do. They saved his life from Azula a dozen times, and now he was siding with her against them. The circumstances were different now, but they didn't see that. They didn't see what he saw in Azula. They just saw a wretch and a murderer. He saw his little sister who was in desperate need of help.

He looked around at everybody. Aang, Toph, and Suki all looked calm. They nodded their heads, which Zuko appreciated greatly. Sokka looked…dazed. He was staring at Azula. Azula's face shocked him. Her eyes were filled with tears. This was most unlike her. As soon as he looked at her, she turned away from him. When he saw her face again, it was back to normal. He then looked at Katara, who still looked furious.

"I think you'll regret this Zuko!" Katara yelled. She turned towards Azula.

"Katara don't!" Aang yelled. She raised her hand to slap Azula, but Azula caught Katara's hand and held onto it.

"Listen, water peasant," she hissed, "Unless you want me to burn your skin black, I suggest you let go of me." Katara stared angrily at her for a second, but then suddenly yelled and pulled away. A red mark the size of a handprint was burned into her arm. Katara winced in pain, but Azula suddenly looked scared.

"Zuko, it was an accident! I wasn't really going to do it! Don't take my fire bending away, I won't do it again!" Katara looked at Zuko triumphantly.

"See! See what a monster she is! See why you should punish her?" They all stared at Zuko.

"I see no reason to punish her for self defense," as he said this, he sincerely hoped he was making the right decision in defending Azula. He just hoped he wouldn't regret this later.

"You _will_ regret this, Zuko," she said and walked off towards the exit of the palace. Toph and Suki immediately followed. Aang and Sokka hesitated.

"I think you're doing the right thing in showing compassion," Aang smiled at the both of them. Zuko sighed in relief. He was so glad somebody agreed with him. "However," he turned to Azula, "there are a lot of people who are angry with the things you've done, Azula. Maybe you should consider apologizing and doing some community service in the places you've damaged."

"Community service?! Me? A princess?"

"Yes. People will feel justified and be more likely to forgive you if you've done some good deeds. And people, like Katara, will be more likely to forgive you if they think you've received some type of 'punishment'."

"No way!" Azula looked disgusted with the idea.

"I think that's a great idea!" Zuko chimed.

"What?!" Azula looked angry. Zuko and Aang insisted on the idea. She protested heatedly at first, but eventually she just went to crossing her arms and mumbling curses at them. Zuko took that as accepting it. Aang bowed to them both. Zuko bowed back fully, truly appreciating the avatar's ideas and compassion towards Azula. Azula, however, merely put her hands to together and nodded her head weakly. He could imagine that it was really awkward for her. Now only Sokka was left.

"Uh…"he started, his face flushed.

"What?" Azula snapped. Maybe staring at him reminded her of Katara.

"Sorry about my sister. I'm not saying she doesn't have a right to be angry at you, because she has every right too. But…she…"

"Yes?! God, take all day why don't you?"

"She, uh…I like your robes! Uh- they're pretty!" she said awkwardly and walked away. The two of them were alone now. There was a moment of silence.

"Well that was interesting," she said to him. "Especially that water peasant."

"Katara?"

"No, the boy! Who'd have thought he'd be so taken with me?" she said smugly. Zuko laughed. He suddenly noticed Azula's robes had loosened. A huge amount of cleavage was showing, so much so that if her robes had parted a few inches more, her nipples would have been exposed.

"What the hell are you staring at?" Azula growled, but when she looked down, she gasped. Zuko laughed the hardest he had in a long time. That whole encounter with the avatar's group suddenly was worth it for that moment. With anybody else it might not have been that funny, but for Azula of all people to be caught so off guard was just hilarious. Azula snarled at him and started to walk away, but Zuko asked her to stay. He wanted to talk to her. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"The avatar…he was so nice to me. After I almost killed him," she turned to him. He nodded. "Thanks for…defending me. You won't regret this."

"I really liked the avatar's ideas about community service."

"Yeah, we'll see…" she mumbled and walked down the hallway. "Let's go see mother." He walked with her until they reached their mother's room. She was in her room unpacking her things still. They sat down on her bed. Ursa sat down on the bed next to Azula and squeezed her hand. She wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a hug. Azula looked annoyed, but he saw her arms hug her back tightly.

Later that night Zuko retired to his bedroom. After he had visited their mother with Azula, he left them. He had taken the morning off from work, but he had an important meeting with the reinstated earth king late that afternoon, so he had no choice but to return to work. After that he completed miscellaneous duties of his position until he was too tired to concentrate. Although he was happy to be the fire lord, it was a surprising amount of work- not one the average person could handle.

On his way to his room he spotted Azula and their mother in the outside garden. They were huddled together on a swinging bench, rocking back and forth. He was too far away to hear their voices. They looked so at peace that he didn't dare interrupt them. He smiled. He couldn't have been happier to see his family together here in the palace, their rightful home. He was so glad that he had taken Azula to see her mother. There was no doubt in his mind that he had made the right choice.

Zuko thought about their encounter with the avatar and his gang. He didn't expect them to like or trust Azula at first. He didn't blame them at all for their reaction. He was happy that the avatar showed compassion. He could see that Azula responded to it. The nicer and more forgiving people were to her, the more she wanted to be nice back. He could see that through her reaction to him, the avatar, and a few of the servants around the palace. Perhaps nobody had ever showed her compassion before. Perhaps being friendless had hardened her heart, making her care for no one but herself. Whatever it was, it was all in the past now. Zuko was looking forward to the future. Love and forgiveness were healing Azula more than he could have ever hoped. She was still the same on the outside- smug and bossy- but he knew she was entirely different on the inside. He could only hope that in time, the change would become permanent.

* * *

AN: I hope Katara wasn't too out of character. She can be pretty hot headed.

Reviews appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I updated! So in this chapter...

Azula, angrier than ever, is taken to the Kyoshi village for community service, but there's much more to this trip than she realizes. Humiliation in front of the general public is one thing, but admitting she was wrong to her former best friends might be too much for her.

**Healing for Azula Pt. 3**

'_Today's the day!' _Zuko thought nervously as he woke from his bed. Today was going to be a long and exhausting day, and he didn't exactly know how it was going to work out. A lot was going to happen today, especially for Azula.

In a few hours they would board the fire nation ship to take them to the Kyoshi village. Planned a full month in advance, Zuko planned a five day trip for him, Azula, and May. Zuko hadn't yet visited the village he had once destroyed, and he felt that he personally needed too. He wanted to apologize in person. Plus, if the world was going to trust the fire nation again, friendships needed to be made, and some relationships couldn't be built through messengers.

Ty Lee lived in the Kyoshi village now, so of course May was going. Azula was going because she was scheduled to do community service all five days of the trip, starting tomorrow. Azula was less than happy about it, and she was going to be even less happy about it soon. She didn't know May was going on the trip, and she didn't know that Ty Lee lived in the Kyoshi village now. He wanted her to reunite with them. Azula and May had been awkwardly avoiding each other for the last two months, and he grew tired of it. He didn't care if the three of them became friends again-that's if they were ever friends in the first place- but he wanted them to be acquaintances. From talking to Azula, he could gather that losing May and Ty Lee had hurt her tremendously, and that reacquainting with them might undo some of the damage that had been done. If anything, it might relieve the two fire ladies of the awkward tension in the palace. Even if the reunion didn't go well, at least the three of them might find peace and closure with the issue, and that's what was most important to Zuko. After that, the three of them could start to move on.

There was also something else that Azula didn't quite realize about this trip. It was, perhaps, the worst thing of all…but Zuko didn't want to think about it right them. He sighed. Azula was going to murder him, he just knew it.

He got up and quickly got ready to go. He gestured to the servants to take care of his luggage and then left his room to visit May.

As he neared her doorway, he heard two female voices in her room. They sounded familiar, but they didn't sound happy.

"You're coming with us?!" he heard Azula's voice, sounding annoyed and angry. He heard May sigh. She sounded annoyed too, but less angry and more dismal.

"Didn't Zuko tell you?"

"No, as a matter of fact, he didn't! So why don't you stay home? You don't need to come."

"And miss your public humiliation? Dream on," Zuko heard a hint of smugness in her voice.

"Azula! May!" he entered the room quickly. The two looked at him with much different expressions. May looked amused, but Azula looked angry. Well, her face looked calm, but he knew her well enough 

to know that she was angry. Before the war she had been a master at hiding her emotions, and slowly those qualities were coming back to her.

Azula quickly turned back to May.

"Just stay out of my way," she said coolly and walked out the door. Zuko was left alone with May.

"You didn't tell her I was coming?"

"I didn't know if she'd go if I did! Plus, I want you guys to talk."

"I know, I know," and it was true. She did know. Zuko had talked with her about it before. May had agreed to be friendly to Azula, but from what Zuko had just heard, he could only hope for the best.

"I know this is hard for you. Please try your best," May nodded.

"I'll tell you how I feel, Zuko. I'm open to getting along with her because of you. But for us to ever be friends, she has to apologize for what she did to Ty Lee and me."

"Thank you May," he said and kissed her on the lips, "I'll be going. See you soon," he said and left. He hurried down the hallway to catch up to Azula. When he did, she turned to him looking angry.

"Since when is _she_ coming?" she snarled. Zuko wasn't sure what to say. Azula could be hard to talk to.

"You two have been avoiding each other in the palace ever since she got out of prison. I'm hoping during this trip you two can talk things over." She laughed humorlessly.

"I don't want to talk to her!"

"But I want you to."

"No way." She crossed her arms.

"Please, Azula? I'm not asking you guys to be friends, all I'm asking is that you two get along and stop avoiding each other. I really want this, and I think you do too." Azula stopped in her steps, looking shocked.

"Why would I want to get along with her? I _hate_ her."

"The thing is, I don't think you do. I think you miss your two best friends, and that you're denying it because you don't want to apologize to them and admit that you were wrong."

"Apologize to them?! I have nothing to apologize for! They betrayed me, so I threw them in prison!"

"In case you forgot, they betrayed you to save my life! For everything that's happened since then, you should be thankful for what they did."

"You idiot! That has nothing to do with it!" she yelled and stormed off. Zuko knew that he was right. She knew that what she did was wrong. There was no question about what happened, and who needed to apologize to whom. It was simply a matter of pride. He sighed. He hoped this would go well, but he was starting to doubt himself.

A few hours later Zuko and May boarded the ship. He saw Azula a ways behind them talking to their mother. He saw them hug, and then she headed towards them. He wished their mother was coming with them. He wasn't sure if he could handle Azula all by himself.

"Does Azula even realize what's going to happen once we're there?" May asked him, interrupting his thoughts.

"Um…"

"Zuko, she's not going to react well. She'll probably get angry and hurt somebody."

"She won't. She knows what the rules are."

"Do you really trust her?"

"I trust that her heart is good…But I don't know how good she is at controlling her anger."

"Not very, if you ask me." Zuko shuddered. What had he gotten them all into?

:t:a:m:

Later that day, the three of them exited the ship. They were followed by the ship's crew and others. As he was walking down the plank, Zuko looked at the village in awe. Hundreds and hundreds of people crowding them. Along the main path of the village he could see stands with people selling what looked like fire nation themed stuff. It looked like the whole town was in celebration of their arrival. What surprised him the most, however, was the massive amount of people in the village. There was no way that many people lived in the Kyoshi village. There must've been many outsiders.

"Prince Zuko!" An old woman came to meet them. She was, as Zuko knew, the leader of the Kyoshi village. "And Princess!" she turned towards May.

"Uh-excuse me! I'm the princess!" Azula yelled. Uh oh, Zuko thought. She sounded angry. She must've noticed the abnormally large amount of people in the village.

"Ah, Azula…" she turned towards her with a look of distaste.

"That's Princess Azula to you, old woman! And what are all these people doing here? I know all they couldn't all live in this pathetic little village."

"Azula! Don't talk that way," Zuko said timidly, although his words were bold. He had a hard time asserting himself when it came to Azula. Even though he had full control of her now, years and years of 

being intimidated by her still had its effects. She mumbled angrily and turned the other way. Zuko wasn't sure what to say to her.

"Come this way," the old lady said to them, "Prince Zuko, it would be so much appreciated if you would greet some of the people who have come outside to see you." Zuko greeted random villagers that crowded around them, but only a few of them were looking at him. They were all looking at the angry princess. He looked at Azula, who seemed to have noticed.

"What are you all looking at, you pathetic peasants?!" she yelled to the crowd.

"Azula!" he whispered quietly to her. She growled and turned toward him. They walked faster towards the cottage where they would be staying, eager to get away from the crowd.

They reached the large cottage they would be staying in a little while later. Once the three of them were inside and alone, Zuko's stomach quivered with nerves. Just as he expected, Azula turned toward him and grabbed his t shirt, pulling him close.

"What are all these people doing here?! You said the Kyoshi was a small village and that nobody knew I was coming!" Zuko laughed nervously.

"The word must've slipped out…"

"There is no way I'm picking up garbage or whatever they want me to do in front of all those stupid commoners!" Zuko sighed. He was growing tired of the way she addressed the common people. It was disrespectful and rude, not to mention embarrassing for him.

"You have to. This is your punishment. And with your temper, I'm beginning to think it's not enough."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"I'd hoped that there wouldn't be a lot of people in the village to see you, but I think this is exactly what you need."

"What? Having hundreds of people jeer and laugh at me?"

"Yes, exactly! You will do this and you will do it peacefully and willingly. You know the consequences if you don't." He said this and stormed out of the room. This was so frustrating. On one hand, he wanted to do everything Azula wanted and make her happy, but on the other hand, she needed to be punished, and he could not let her act however she wanted.

Over the last month she'd begun to show more and more of her old personality traits. She had become as arrogant as she was before the war happened, and he was beginning to think it was because he had treated her so nicely. She needed to learn humility. Yes, this punishment was exactly what she needed. She needed to be reminded that she wasn't an almighty god before everybody else. He sat in his room brooding about what to do and what to say until he heard two voices coming from the other room.

"What are you looking at?" Azula said.

"I'm really looking forward to watching you humiliate yourself in front of hundreds of people tomorrow," he heard May's low voice.

"Who said they're going to be watching?"

"According to Zuko, you're going to be walking around town picking up trash. Everybody's going to see you."

"I don't care what those pathetic peasants think of me, and I definitely don't care what you think!" he heard May laugh coldly.

"I didn't say you did."

"Just leave me alone! I hate you!"

"Really," she replied uninterestedly.

"I've always hated you!" she yelled and stormed out of the room. Zuko sighed. This was not going well at all.

:t:a:m:

Zuko and Azula stood by the doorway, ready to leave to cottage the next morning. Azula was looking at him angrily, but she said nothing. He'd just explained to her where she would go, what she was going to do, what she was going to _not_ do, and how she would act. She would be on her own today, and Zuko wanted to make sure she was going to behave. She knew the rules, and the heavier than usual consequences if she broke them.

"Please, Azula. Be good."

"Whatever!" she mumbled and walked out the door. Zuko followed, but immediately they had to go their separate ways. Zuko would be going to a meeting with the chief of the village, so he would be busy the entire day. Hesitating, he said goodbye and left her.

Azula set off angrily towards the courthouse. How could he do this to her? First he'd tricked her into spending time with May, who she hated, and now she had to do peasant work in front of all these people!

:t:a:m:

"I have to pick up trash for _ten hours_?! No way!" She yelled to the judge.

"Here is the jumpsuit you will be wearing. Put it on and get to work right away," the judge said in monotone, as if he was bored to tears.

"But that jumpsuit is bright yellow! It's disgusting!"

"Get to work unless you want to spend the day in jail instead," he said again in monotone. She almost considered taking him up on the offer, but Zuko would not approve. She bit her tongue and changed her clothes in another room. She just had to do what everybody said. As much as she hated this, she had to do it. She couldn't mess up this time like she did with the avatar's girlfriend. If she did, it was straight into prison with her. She sighed.

"Here goes nothing…" she said sarcastically and walked out the door, bag and grabber in hand.

She hadn't walked a hundred yards from the courthouse when she saw a crowd of people staring at her. She kept her head down and didn't look at them. She just had to ignore everybody.

A little while later she looked up again, and she saw the crowd had multiplied by at least 5 times. She scowled. Just keep walking…

The murmur of the crowd grew. It was gradually getting bigger and bigger. What was worse, she found a piece of trash on the ground next to them. She walked over towards them and picked the old candy wrapper up. For that moment, the crowd was extremely quiet. After she placed the wrapper in her bag, and crowd roared in delight.

"What am I, a circus show? Go away!" she yelled. The crowd was dead silent for a moment, but then they burst out in laughter.

'_Just ignore them…'_ she said repeatedly to herself.

This routine went on for a long time. They would follow her around joyously as she picked up trash. This was so humiliating, she thought. She sighed. Oh well, at least there wasn't anybody she knew here. It was easy to ignore them since they were strangers.

As she was bending down to pick up a paper bag, something hard hit her in the back of the head. Even worse, it felt wet. She whirled around.

"What the hell was that?" she looked down and saw that it was a tomato. It was splattered on the ground, and she could feel tomato juice on the back of her head dripping down her neck.

"Who did that?!" Nobody stepped out of the crowd. She gritted her teeth and turned around, looking for more trash to pick up. If only she could do as she pleased, she thought angrily. If only Zuko wasn't so damn strict and angry with her. 'No fire bending, no matter what happens!' she could remember Zuko telling her. If only she could…

She hadn't taken a single step when another tomato came flying at her. When she turned around, before she could yell, a dozen more tomatoes and other objects came flying towards her. She tried to move quickly, but she spotted them too late. A few of them hit her. If only she could fire bend…nobody would even _dare_ mess with her…no, they would ever dare to look at her!

"Not so high and mighty now, are you?" a male voice yelled from the crowd. She couldn't tell who said it, but the rest of the crowd roared happily.

"Come out and say that to my face! If you're brave enough, that is!" she yelled. Nobody talked like that to her, especially not some peasant. A man stepped out from the crowd. He was a tall, strong looking man.

"Got something to say, big guy?!" she could definitely take him, she was not scared. She could take all of these people. One slash of fire and they'd run scared.

"You should be in prison! You're lucky your brother's such a good person!" The crowd roared in agreement.

"Why don't you say that again?" She created a large ball of her signature blue fire in her hand, threatening him. He wouldn't dare attack her now. He looked taken aback for a quick moment, but then he laughed smugly.

"We all know you're not allowed to do anything to us. Otherwise it's straight to prison with you!" The crowd roared once again joyously. Azula snarled. He was exactly right. She couldn't do anything. She just had to stand there and take it. That was the whole point, wasn't it? To be humiliated and jeered at. It was better than being in prison. She let the fire go.

"Because of you and your father, our village was destroyed!" a random voice called out from the crowd. It was true: numerous villages had been completely destroyed during the war.

"Am I supposed to care? Because I don't."

"Because of you, the avatar was almost killed!" That was true also. These people really did have a reason to be angry with her, she figured. She didn't have anything to apologize for though. Nothing!

"So? Like I care!"

"You tried to burn the whole earth kingdom to the ground! You would've killed us all without thinking twice!" That was true too. Half of these people wouldn't be alive if her plan had gone through. For some reason, that made her kind of sad. She hated these people, but she would've never wanted them dead. Still, she didn't have to apologize to these commoners, even if what she did was wrong...

Suddenly the whole crowd joined in on the blame game, fueled by their anger. She couldn't hear any one voice anymore. She couldn't even hear her thoughts.

"OK, I get it! Just leave me alone!" she yelled, but she couldn't hear her own voice. The man that had started this whole mess walked up to her. He grabbed her shoulder. She would've repelled, but he had taken her by surprise.

"No, I don't think you get it! If you had gotten your way, we'd all be dead or else your slaves!" He shook her. She was paralyzed. The noise of the crowd, this man shaking her, and her own scandalous thoughts of guilt buzzing through her head had her frozen to the spot. She couldn't fire bend to get away, she couldn't do anything. Even if she could, her mind was so shaken that she would've never thought of how. The man shook her again, but harder.

"Are you listening to me?!"

"Leave me alone!" she said startled. It was all she could manage.

"The fire nation destroyed our village! It's all because of you and your family! And now here you are, you're only punishment being picking up trash!" He yelled in her face. She tried to get his arm off of her by force, but she was not strong enough. She felt panic running through her blood. She had to get out of there, these people were scaring her. Maybe she could fire bend just one more time…

She couldn't even remember how to do it. She couldn't think straight with all the noise, and this huge man in her face. The man suddenly let go of her. She fell to her knees. She needed to get out of there. She looked up for an opening. There was none, but her eyes suddenly feel upon something else.

"Lay one more hand on her and I'll personally have you punished," it was May, sounding as bored as ever. The man bowed.

"I'm sorry princess!"

"Just get out of here," She reached down and grabbed Azula's hand. She pulled her up. Wordlessly, she led Azula towards the crowd, attempting to get through it. The crowd hesitated and nobody moved.

"Prince Zuko gave the village specific orders not to harass her. He trusted you all to follow his wishes. He gave you people way too much credit," after she said this, much of the yelling seemed to die down. The anger of the crowd had subsided. The people were coming back to their senses. The crowd made a path for May and Azula to walk through. Still holding her hand, May led her through the crowd and all the way back to their cottage. Neither of them said a word.

By the time they got back to the cottage, Azula was able to regain her composure. Inside, May let go her hand. Azula felt humiliated. She had to have May save her. She had the strong urge to say something mean to her, but she couldn't bring herself too.

"Thanks," she winced. She hated that word.

"If Zuko had known that the people would act that way, he would've never let you go out there. Those people were under strict orders to leave you alone. We thought the people understood that."

"I don't blame Zuko for this."

"He'd be very proud of you for not attacking them. Actually, I'm really surprised you didn't attack anybody. I went into the crowd thinking I'd be saving one of the villagers, not you."

"I guess you did 'save' me…"

"Don't think too much of it. Not even you deserved that…" Azula said nothing.

"Azula? You don't seriously think you deserved that? Not you, the snobby fire princess!" She was trying to get a rise out of her. Azula sighed and started to leave the room.

"What's the matter with you?" May asked. Azula didn't answer and left the room. She didn't come back out that night.

A little while later, Zuko bolted through the door in a hurry. May looked at him surprised.

"Where's Azula? Is she ok? I heard what happened!"

"She's alright. She was just being harassed, but nobody hurt her."

"I heard she got mobbed!"

"I got her out of there in time."

"Did she hurt anybody?"

"No."

"I'm so glad. Thank you, May," he sighed in relief and hugged her. He went into Azula's room, where he found her sulking on her bed.

"I'm so sorry, Azula. I had no idea that would happen. The village wasn't supposed to bother you in any way-"

"You don't need to explain. May already did."

"Are you ok?"

"Just go away!"

"You don't have to go back out there tomorrow," he said and then left the room, as he was told.

Zuko cursed to himself. What a disaster! He felt like an idiot. He should've known something like this would've happened. He predicted that there would be lots of people there to see her, but he'd made sure to let the village know that they were to leave her alone. He didn't realize how much anger for the fire princess they must have. He figured most of their anger was at his father. Stupid avatar, this was all his idea.

:t:a:m:

Zuko, Azula, and May all ate breakfast in silence the next morning. Finally, Zuko spoke.

"I have another meeting with the village chief today, then I'll be going around town and greeting villagers. You guys can do whatever you want," when he saw the look of surprise on Azula's face, he continued, "You don't have to pick up trash or anything today. I trusted those people to leave you alone and they didn't, so they don't have my trust anymore."

Azula didn't say anything. Shouldn't she be happy, Zuko wondered? Maybe yesterday had shaken her. After breakfast, Zuko left the silent cottage to do his days work. He really hoped she was ok.

:t:a:m:

"Where are you going?" May asked Azula as she walked out the door.

"To the courthouse, where do you think?!" she snarled.

"Are you deaf? You don't have to go!"

"Like I said, just stay out of my way," she walked out the door. May sighed and followed her.

"Unless your set on getting mobbed again, I better come with you," she didn't know why she was doing this. Hanging out with Azula was not how she wanted to spend her day.

"You don't have to come with. I'll be fine. I'll burn anybody that crosses me!"

"And then you'll be sent to prison. You'd be smart to let me come with," what was she doing? Why was she trying to convince Azula to let her walk with her? This village made people crazy, that's what.

"Fine! I don't care."

They walked to the courthouse in silence. May was right. When she was with Azula, people tended to stay out of their way. She saw people around, but none of them came near them or said anything to them.

"Picking up trash. Ten hours. You will wear this jumpsuit," the judge droned on. Azula sighed.

"How much trash is there in this place?" she yelled at the judge.

"With all these people you and your brother have attracted, quite a lot."

Azula made a face at him, took the jumpsuit, and put it on grumbling and cursing. She came out to greet May.

"Alright, let's go!" she smiled. May laughed.

"You seem excited."

"It's nice to have company."

"…Really?"

"Uh…I mean, picking up trash is boring, so even _you're_ good company."

"Oh...Thanks for the compliment," she said sarcastically.

"You're welcome."

"You're not too bad of company either."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're bitchiness is kind of amusing sometimes."

"Thanks!" she smiled genuinely.

"That was supposed to be an insult."

"You need to work on your insults, then."

"Your act arrogant to make up for the fact that you're completely powerless. There, how's that?" she looked happy with herself.

"What? I do not! At least I have a personality, unlike you."

"Well at least I didn't try and cut my own hair and then ruin it!"

"What? You're just jealous of my hair."

"Our hair's the exact same!"

"You wish it was."

"…whatever," arguing with Azula was not worth the trouble.

"Jealousy makes you get wrinkles, you know."

"Why would I be jealous of you? You're a bitch that nobody likes!" May didn't know why this was making her so angry. She usually never got this angry. Azula seemed to be feeling the same emotion. She stopped walking.

"At least I never betrayed my best friends! I'd rather be a bitch than a traitor!"

"I betrayed you to save your brother, they very man who saved you from being tossed in prison."

"It has nothing to do with Zuko or the avatar or the war or anything!"

"Then what is it?"

"It's the fact that you're a back stabbing tramp!" May paused. Did Azula just say what she thought she did?

"You did not just say that," May tried to convince herself.

"I did! You back- stabbing- tramp!" she put extra emphasis on each word.

"Who's a back stabber? You threw us in prison!"

"You back stabbed me first!" Azula's blood was boiling. How dare she call her a back stabber when she and Ty Lee were the real culprits? She may not have been allowed to fire bend anymore, but Zuko never said punching a backstabbing best friend in the face was off limits…

"As if we were ever friends in the first place!" May yelled. She felt all of her emotions pouring out at once. This was unusual for her, but Azula always had an uncanny ability to press her buttons.

"I hate you!" Azula yelled as she charged at her. May was caught off guard. She tackled her, pushing them both to the ground. "We _were_ friends!" she yelled as she punched May in the face.

"Only because you forced us to be!" May yelled as she pushed Azula onto her back and drew out her kunai. She pinned Azula's jumpsuit to the ground, making it so her arms couldn't move. She punched Azula in the face for revenge. "I hate you!" After struggling a moment, Azula broke free of the kunai, ripping her jumpsuit in the struggle. She tackled May once again and began her attack. They both rolled around, punching and clawing at each other, yelling insult and curses at each other. Without her fire bending, Azula could not beat May. But Azula was fast enough not to let May get a hold of her kunai, which was her specialty. As a result, this was a match of pure wrestling. Who could punch, scratch, and scream at the other for the longest.

At last, Azula raised her fist to punch May only to find that May did not raise her arms to protect her. She smirked as she grabbed May's robes. They were both panting heavily.

"You never could beat me." May laughed, smiling widely. This caught Azula by surprise. "What are you laughing at?!" she yelled in her face. May only laughed louder. She looked ecstatic.

"That was the most fun I've had since who knows when!" Azula smiled. May was right.

"That was the most fun I've had since…since we ambushed those idiot Kyoshi warriors and took their hideous costumes and wore them!" May smiled.

"That was fun, I admit."

"So was this." Azula said as she looked at the bruises and blood all over their bodies.

"What, beating each other up?"

"Yes. I love fighting."

"And I love excitement. It's better than my usual boring life."

"Yes, I feel so much better now. I feel like I did before I became so restricted by Zuko's stupid rules…"

"You're insane." There was a moment of silence between them.

"May?"

"Hm?"

"I do…kinda…enjoy your company."

"I like you too." Azula's face lit up.

"So we are friends!" Before May could say anything, Azula hugged her tightly. May agreed awkwardly. She could hardly breathe. She realized then that Azula must've really missed her and Ty Lee. Why else would she have been so happy to be 'friends' with her again. Once Azula finally let her go, May sat up.

"For us to be friends, I need an apology for you. I need you to apologize to us for what you did." Azula hesitated. There was a moment of silence where Azula seemed to be contemplating what she would do. Her face screwed up tightly. May was hoping that she would come through for her. She was kind of crazy, and mean, and kind of a loser when it came to boys, but…she kind of missed being around her. She'd forgotten how much more interesting her life was when she was around.

"Alright I'm sorry!" she yelled. She seemed to be talking to the world rather than to May.

"For?"

"For everything! For trying to kill my inferior-by-every-means brother, and for suggesting we burn down the earth kingdom, and for throwing you all in prison!" May smiled. That was way more than she had asked for. Maybe Azula really was starting to feel sorry for everything she'd done.

"But I'll never be sorry for trying to kill the avatar. It was that idiot's idea that I do community service!" May laughed. It was good enough for her. She had never expected her and Azula to ever get along again.

"I'm sorry for throwing you in prison. I know you guys 'did the right thing' and all, but…I was mad. Maybe you guys didn't feel the same way, but you guys were my two best friends."

"I'm sorry too," May didn't feel like she had a lot to be sorry for, but she felt it was the right thing to say. They sat there for a moment, but then Azula suddenly stood up.

"Let's go pick up trash!" she said with fake enthusiasm.

"So why do insist on picking up trash when you don't have too?" Azula made a face as if the answer was obvious.

"What, you don't think I'm apologizing to these Kyoshi idiots, do you?" May realized what she was saying. She could hardly believe it.

"So…is this your way of saying that you're sorry?"

"What? Who said that?" she snapped, but May knew that must've been it.

"Stop right there!" a female voice called, looking at Azula. She was dressed in the green Kyoshi warrior robes, accompanied by white face paint.

"I'm sorry, the idiots-in-costumes convention is that way," she pointed, but she was thrown off by that familiar voice.

"Azula?!"

"…Ty Lee?!"

"May?" Ty Lee ran over to her, looking worried. "Are you ok?" May laughed.

"Yeah, never better. Azula's finally decided to apologize to us. You want to hear it?" Ty Lee was too shocked at the situation to fully hear what May was saying. Azula looked shocked too.

"Ty Lee? Is that really you?"

"Yeah, what's it too you?" she asked angrily. Azula burst out in laughter. Ty Lee put her hands on her hips.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Please tell me you're just pretending. Don't tell me you're actually a Kyoshi warrior now," she managed to say through her laughter. "May, why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"I am a Kyoshi warrior, and I'm proud of it!" Azula pondered a moment as her laughter died down.

"Well I'm glad. Now the Kyoshi warriors finally have something to brag about. They won't get beaten so easily now."

"Oh…well…thanks!" she smiled. Ty Lee was easy to please. "But we're not friends!" she frowned and turned towards May. "What happened?"

"We got into a fight, then she apologized for what she did to us, and now we're friends." They smiled at each other. Azula ran towards Ty Lee. Ty Lee tried to get into a fighting stance, but Azula was too fast. She hugged Ty Lee tightly, burying her face in the warrior's green robes.

"Can't we be friends too?" There was a pause. Ty Lee listened closely. She turned her head towards May.

"Is she crying?"

"I think so."

"I'm sorry I threw you in prison. I was just mad because you guys are my two best friends. I missed you guys." Ty Lee looked at May incredulously.

"Is she crying, apologizing, and telling us her true feelings all in one sentence?"

"I think so."

Ty Lee hugged her back tightly, a huge grin on her face.

"Well why didn't you say so earlier? We can definitely be friends then."

"You mean you're not mad?"

"No way! If I hadn't been in prison, I would've never met the Kyoshi warriors and found out how awesome they all are!" she said cheerily.

"Oh…you're welcome?" Azula said unsurely. Her tear stained face looked happy.

"Now I see why Zuko didn't throw you in prison!" she smiled, hugging her childhood friend.

"Really?"

"Yeah! You're nice on the inside! Look at her May, isn't she just adorable?" she squeezed Azula's cheeks, looking at May hopefully. Azula pushed her off.

"Stop already! You're embarrassing me!"

"You were the one who hugged me!"

"What? You're making things up." She backed away from them, looking composed like she usually did. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have trash to pick up." Ty Lee leaned towards May's ear.

"Did she bump her head?" she whispered.

"Maybe," she whispered back.

"Now," she addressed the two of them, sounding like her past self, "At least one of you needs to follow me so I don't get attacked. I would prefer both of you."

"You got it!" Ty Lee cheered dutifully. They looked at May.

"Yeah sure. I don't have anything better to do," May finally stood up. Azula picked up her bag and grabber.

"Get those pieces of trash over there, would you?" she pointed and walked the other. Automatically she started to follow the order. Azula was already out of talking distance when May realized what was happening.

"Wait, why are we taking orders from her?! Why is she even giving us orders?!" They both stood there, pondering the question. Ty Lee picked up the trash Azula had told them too.

"I guess some things never change," she laughed. May sighed, feeling defeated.

"Whatever…I don't even care."

"Like that! You're lazy attitude- that'll never change."

"Yeah, just like your cheery attitude. That's here to stay... So is Azula's bossy attitude, I guess."

"But she's different now, isn't she? I can tell."

"On the inside. On the outside, she's the exact same."

"So she's still the same old Azula, but nice now!" May nodded. Ty Lee would just have to see for herself.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" yelled Azula from afar, "Get over here and help me! Do you want me to be mobbed again?"

"Yep. Same old Azula," May and Ty Lee followed her faithfully.

:t:a:m:

Zuko neared the Kyoshi cottage around dusk. What a long day, he thought. There were many people that wanted to meet him, he couldn't get away. He wondered how May and Azula were doing. Maybe during the day they got to hang out and talk. That was simply hoping for the best. He hoped that they at least got along all day and didn't give each other living hell. Hopefully Azula was feeling better after yesterday. He was worried about her. His plans had been a complete disaster. He had he not seen that coming? He had continued to beat himself up about it all day.

He opened the door and hoped for the best.

"Hi Zuko!" Oh no. Out of Azula's friends, this was the one he could not stand.

"Ty Lee? What are you doing here?" May must've invited her. May and Azula then walked up to him together. They both looked bruised and beat up, but they both looked unusually happy.

"What happened to you two? What's going on?"

"We're all friends now!" Ty Lee cheered and hugged them both. May and Azula both pushed her off. Neither of them had been known to like hugs. Zuko was shocked. He turned toward May.

"Is this true?"

"Yep."

"All three of you…but how? And why do you guys look so beat up?"

"I'll explain later."

As the three sat at the table and ate dinner together, Zuko remembered the old saying 'be careful what you wish for'. He forgot how annoying the three of them were when they were together! God, girls sure talk a lot, especially Ty Lee. And Azula was back to her normal self, which meant she was making fun of him constantly again. He was glad about one thing though: they all looked extremely happy.

The last three days of the trip Zuko had nothing to do. He decided he'd best spend it with the annoying trio. They annoyed the hell out of him, but he couldn't seem to get enough of them. He'd do anything to spend time with May, but seeing Azula happy was worth the suffering too.

The village watched in awe as the four of them strolled around town those three days. The good thing about having Azula with them is that nobody bothered them. The individual people were still too intimidated by her to come near her. What surprised the villagers and Zuko the most was that all three days Azula wore her yellow jumpsuit and continued to pick up trash. They village seemed to have a never ending stock of trash. The word had gotten around by now that she was doing this on her own free will, which confused many people. People were starting to wonder if there was more to the princess than they had previously thought. Zuko refused to answer any questions.

On the ship ride home he pondered everything May had told him about her day with Azula. He was sorry to hear that they to almost beat each other to death before they could become friends, but the story was rather touching. He couldn't believe she had apologized for so much, and that she went around town picking up trash willingly. His plan hadn't been a disaster at all; in fact, it went better than he could have ever expected. She'd finally learned how to put aside her pride and admit that she was wrong.

* * *

AN: That was loooooong. I hope Azula and May were in character. I tried my best to make them in character and fun to read at the same time.

Reviews appreciated.


End file.
